


Green-Eyed Monster

by secooper87



Series: The Child of Balime [37]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Torchwood
Genre: Action/Adventure, Crossover, Drama, Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-15
Updated: 2014-02-27
Packaged: 2018-01-12 11:50:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1185891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/secooper87/pseuds/secooper87
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jenny can defeat any monster.  Except the green-eyed variety.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_Previously, in the Child of Balime…_

"Where are you going next?" Seo asked, quietly.

Jenny shrugged. "Oh, here, there, anywhere really," she admitted. "Time and space to explore. Monsters to defeat. Planets to save. Running to—"

"Alone?" Seo asked. "With no family or friends or…?"

Jenny couldn't keep it back any longer. A wave of anger swept over her as she shouted, "Well, not _all_ of us are lucky enough to have Dad follow us around looking over our shoulder!"

Seo stared.

"Sorry," Jenny said, composing herself. "Sorry, it's just…" She clenched her fists. "I haven't seen Dad since the day I was born. I… I… don't…" She looked away. "I don't have any other family."

A terrible sadness washed across Seo's face. "No family?"

Jenny didn't answer.

"No family," Seo repeated. "No home. No aunts or moms or Jacks. No one in the universe to care…"

Then she shoved a determined, stubborn look on her face. Her eyes blazing, her face certain.

And she grabbed up Jenny by the wrist.

"Nope," Seo decided. "That won't do. Not at all!"

Jenny looked up at her. "I don't…"

"If you're my sister, I can't let you race around the universe with no family and no home!" Seo told her. "I _won't_." She turned around, dragging Jenny after her. "So it's settled. If you don't have your own family, you'll have to borrow mine."

"I… I don't…!" Jenny tried to protest.

Alison just giggled as Seo dragged her sister inside of Oliver.

Nope. There was no use arguing with Seo when she was like this.

No use at all.

* * *

**Green-Eyed Monster**

* * *

"That's… ingenious," Jenny said, when she first entered the ship. Looked up, analyzing with rapt amazement. "It's beautiful. I mean, I always understood the theory of dimensional transcendentalism. But I never thought to use it on such a large scale, before. And… using it inside a space ship. That's inspired!"

Seo beamed. Bouncing up and down, looking like she was only seconds away from tugging her sister around and babbling about everything at top-Seo-speaking-speed.

Jenny turned back, ponytail swishing behind her. "You built this yourself?"

"Yes!" Seo said. Then, realizing she sounded like a too-eager kid, amended, in a more serious voice, "Yes, all of it — even the time machine part."

Jenny seemed fascinated. "Show me."

 _That_ set off the Seo ramble.

Alison listened with detached amusement, as Seo babbled and beamed and waved her hands around, jumping up and down just to emphasize her sheer brilliance in her achievements. Alison, of course, couldn't follow a word of it.

Jenny seemed to be following all of it, though.

"To the coupling circuits?" Jenny asked, eyebrows raising in alarm. "What, really?"

Seo faltered. "It… works!"

"It'd be phenomenally dangerous," said Jenny. She looked inside, at the wiring. "I'm surprised you haven't…"

She paused. Momentarily confused.

Then gave a small, "Oh," and poked her head out of the console. Examining Seo with a growing interest.

"What?" said Seo. She shifted uncomfortably. "What is it? You're not going to say it isn't brilliant, right? Because it is. And… and… I can always make it more brilliant, if I feel like it!"

"It's very clever," Jenny mused. "Extremely clever." Then, in a louder tone of voice, "Are you the only one that can fly this ship?"

Seo shrugged. "It's safer that way."

Jenny thought this through. Then shrugged. Went over to the coordinate panel. "Twenty first century Earth, right?" she said. Tapping in the numbers. "London? I think I know that one."

"You've been there?" said Alison.

Jenny glanced back, and shot Alison a look that warned her to be quiet and play along.

Right, then. Well, whatever Jenny was doing, Alison supposed it couldn't possibly do any harm. She seemed a reasonable enough person, after all.

Seo resumed her happy expression, and bounced around, sending the ship hurtling into motion. The landscape outside blurred, then tumbled into the colors of the vortex, as the ship spun backwards through time. Back… back…

"On our way!" Seo assured her.

Jenny regarded the vortex. Then Seo. "Yes," she said, sounding a little surprised. "We are. Interesting."

They land in a back-alley, conveniently out-of-sight, where they could be discreet.

"There!" said Seo. "London, 21st century!" She turned, then… hesitated. "Wait, this isn't London. This is Cardiff." Paused again. Then, "This is where I always land when I go to Cardiff!" Spun around to face Jenny. "How'd you know the coordinates for…?"

"You don't actually know the truth, do you?" Jenny said, softly.

Seo's eyes went a little wider. She fidgeted, her eyes flicking momentarily over to Alison, then back to Jenny. "Truth… about…?"

"The coordinates I gave you were for the distant future," said Jenny. "A planet called Seldor. You used those coordinates. And still came here."

Seo stared. Clearly confused.

Jenny went over to the central console, opened it up. "Thing is, there are two different time machines in here," she explained. Pointed. "That first one… well, it's extremely dangerous. Would certainly transport you through time but… use it too often, and you might tear yourself to shreds."

Seo crept over to Jenny. Peaked inside. But said nothing.

"Course, the power-core's burned out," Jenny admitted. "Should have made this whole ship unflyable."

Alison stifled a grin. Yep. She remembered who'd done _that_ one.

"But that's what the coral is for!" Seo insisted. "It's to take the place of the power-core, so my machinery can…"

"Seo," Jenny cut in. "The coral isn't connected to the other machine."

Seo froze.

Jenny went over to the central console. Opened it up, again. And showed her. "This," pointing to one side, "is the TARDIS coral. And this," pointing to the complete opposite side, "is your setup. Completely different. And not connected to your machinery. The coral isn't working as the power source, because there is no power source. No piece of machinery in your ship, Seo, is meant to store and channel dimensional rift energy." She glanced up at Seo. "The ship itself technically shouldn't work at all. Except… it does when _you_ use it."

"I don't understand," said Seo.

"It works when you use it," Jenny said, more slowly. "And only you. Just the same way that you — and only you — can override the coordinates subconsciously. By controlling the flow of energy."

Alison's jaw dropped. As she worked it out. "She converts and stores energy!" Alison cried. "And she's brilliant with rift energy, in particular. The TARDIS coral is using _her_ to complete the circuit. That's why Oliver doesn't work for anyone else!"

Seo looked up at Alison. Still seeming lost. "But… but I built…"

"It's startlingly clever," Jenny noted, looking down into the machine, again. "With the TARDIS coral, you're connecting Seo to the ship, allowing her to work as the power source — in just small enough quantities that she doesn't even notice. The ship won't work for anyone else but her, and if someone hijacks it, Seo will be able to redirect the energy flow manually, to make sure it still goes to exactly the place she wants." She chuckled to herself. "Really, considering most of the time machine is just you and what's embedded directly into that coral itself… you don't need the rest of this at all." She gestured at the central console, then at the entire ship. "Only thing you need… is, well, you. And this coral. Long as you weren't in the vortex too long, you'd probably survive it."

Seo stared.

"And the non-coral time machine bits…?" Alison said.

"Don't do anything," Jenny replied. Shrugged. "Why would they? This is a much better system. And more clever." Jenny grinned, then clapped the top of the console back shut. Turning back to Seo. "Fascinating, isn't it? I'm so glad you showed me! I love working out mysteries like that."

"I… um…" said Seo.

Jenny turned towards the doors, and threw them open. "So let's see what it's like here!" she called back. "Come on!"

Seo lingered behind. Her jaw still dropped open.

"Seo?" Alison asked. "You all right?"

Seo jumped. Spun around, clearly looking rattled. Then planted a stubborn look on her face. "Yes. Yes!" She held up her head high, strutting to the doors of her ship. "I knew all that. I was just testing. I _am_ clever, you know."

"I know," Alison assured her.

"And I did build it all myself," Seo added. "Doesn't matter if the bits I built didn't actually wind up making the ship go. I still built it, and that's impressive."

"I know, Seo," said Alison. "You don't have to prove anything."

"Just wanted to set the record straight, was all," said Seo. As she left the ship.


	2. Chapter 2

Buffy vaulted forwards, managing to karate-kick one weevil in the head while punching another back. Landed, then dodged a third, elbowing back to hit a fourth squarely in the nose.

The first came at her again, but Buffy was ready. Ducked down, grabbing him by his ankles and hoisting him over her head, right into a nearby dumpster.

Second came at her, teeth first, but Buffy, stifling another headache, tore a leg off a thrown-out chair, and stabbed it in the chest. Missing the heart, of course. On purpose. The weevil groaned, clutching its injury, then curled up on the ground, whimpering.

"Still got it," Buffy said, applauding herself as the headache cleared. She easily took the oversized splinter out, and then used her can of weevil-spray to calm it. Seriously, what was Martha thinking, telling her to back down from monster-fighting? "This stuff's like riding a bike."

"Behind you!" shouted Seo's voice.

Buffy turned, and only then remembered the other two weevils advancing towards her. Tried to dodge, but one of the weevils grabbed hold of her arm, its fangs by her face.

Then, in a flash, it was grabbed up and thrown back. Crashing against the wall, where its eyes went wide, and it squealed.

Before the blond figure snapped its neck.

Then raced half-way up the nearest wall, launching herself into the air and landing between the other weevil and Buffy, grabbed up her stake, and thrust it right into the creature's jugular. It spluttered and coughed, then collapsed in a pool of blood.

"What the…?!" Buffy shouted. Grabbed up the girl and spun her around. "Seo, what the hell do you think you're…?!"

Then stopped.

As she realized… this person was tall. And not Seo.

"Hang on," said Buffy. "Who're you?"

Seo — the _real_ Seo — came racing into the alley. Immediately rushing to the side of the fallen and bleeding-to-death weevil, kneeling down to see if there was anything she could do.

"You… killed it!" Seo cried.

"Of course," said Jenny. She looked between Seo and Buffy. Brow furrowed. "It was an unthinking animal. Who was wandering around a populated city, trying to maim people. I _had_ to."

Buffy thought this over. Then shrugged. "Fair enough."

Seo shot her head up. "What?"

"Well, it's what I would do," Buffy agreed. Then, realizing what she'd just said, "I mean, that's… wrong. Definitely wrong. You're absolutely right, Seo, to want to help out."

Seo shot Buffy a glare.

"Okay, okay!" said Buffy, throwing up her hands. "How about this? Mystery girl I don't know — cool job, like the fighting style. Seo — if you do anything even remotely like that, you're grounded for the next century."

"What?! Why am I held to a different standard?" Seo demanded.

"Because unlike you," said Buffy, crossing her arms, "Mystery-Girl isn't my responsibility."

"Actually, she is a bit," Alison offered, as she entered the alley. She gestured at the Mystery-Girl. "This is Jenny. She's Seo's sister."

Buffy took a minute to digest this.

Then shrugged.

"Okay, I'll bite," said Buffy. Turned back to Jenny. "Altered timeline? Rewritten memories? Alien implant pregnancy thing that I can't remember? Or magic spell?"

Jenny stared. "I'm sorry?"

"Not yours," Seo whispered. "Half-sister. On the other side."

Now Buffy really _did_ do a double take. Her jaw literally dropping.

"Woah, woah, woah! Seriously?!" Examined Jenny, astonished. Then laughed. "Shoulda known. _Shoulda_ known! Who's your mom, then? Companion, or mistress to the king of France, or… what?"

"I… don't have one," Jenny admitted. A little awkwardly. "I… was assembled… using a machine. From Dad's DNA." She looked around herself, fidgeting and seeming like she wanted nothing more than to turn on her heel and run away.

Buffy chided herself.

Way to go. Kid has no mom, got left behind by the Doctor — and here Buffy was, making her feel all with the abandonment issues.

"Sorry, I didn't mean…" No, that wasn't the way to do it. Buffy put a great big grin on her face, and shook Jenny's hand. "I'm Buffy. Seo's mom. And… I mean, I know I'm not your mom, and you don't need to treat me like one. But… if you need anything — just ask."

Jenny hesitated. But something in the warmth and sincerity of Buffy's nature seemed to appeal to her, and she offered a shy smile back. Shook the hand.

"Alison," Buffy said, leaning over to catch her eye. "Can you and Seo phone in for a Torchwood round-up of the still-alive weevils? I'll… just be a minute or two."

Seo looked like she was about to protest, but Alison grabbed her up and shushed her. "Course!" she called back. "Easy!"

Buffy flashed a grin, then put a hand around Jenny's shoulders and led her away. Yeah, Buffy could see that Jenny was the Doctor's daughter. She was… _really_ tall. Doctor-style tall. Putting an arm around her shoulders was like doing one of those tip-toe arm-stretching-up yoga exercises.

The Plass wasn't far away. Buffy sat down on the steps, patted the area beside herself. Tried to seem as friendly and non-threatening as possible, to put the girl at ease.

Jenny only faltered a little, as she sat down.

Geeze, the girl looked _terrified._ Face down weevils unarmed, no problem — but face down your sister's mom? Looked like she was going major on the freak-out with that one.

"It's okay, I'm not gonna turn into some weird jelly-looking monster thing," Buffy said. Tucked her hands into her lap. "Seen _way_ too many people pull that one."

That earned Buffy a little grin.

"So what's the deal?" said Buffy. "Is this, like, a stay-over, wanna-be-a-normal-kid type thing? Or are you gonna be all with the job and the car and the dating, and need some money to start up? Or…?"

Jenny stared. That terrified look creeping back into her eyes.

"You… haven't actually thought that far ahead, yet, huh?" Buffy guessed. Sighed. "Yeah. Definitely the Doctor's kid."

"I was a prisoner of the Vngor," Jenny explained. "Seo saved me. But when I tried to leave… she… sort of dragged me off. She seemed upset that I… didn't have a family."

"So… she offered to share hers with you?" Buffy guessed.

That sounded like _total_ Seo.

Jenny gave a shy smile. Staring down at the pavement. "I don't really know what I'm doing," she admitted. "But… Seo was really determined. And… she's right. I… don't like being alone." The smile spread a little wider. "I think… I trust her. She seems… sweet."

Yep.

Characteristic Seo.

In that it was nice and thoughtful and sweet and totally the right thing to do. And that Seo was jumping into a fire head-first without bothering to test and see if it was hot.

"Why is Seo… part… hell goddess?" Jenny asked, suddenly.

Buffy gave a small grin. "Alison told you about that one, huh?" said Buffy. Thought through how she was gonna explain this… and then decided… it wasn't her story to tell. "Long story I kind of can't go into. Rest assured, it's all to do with me, the Doctor, a bunch of super-dimensional whatever things who wanted Seo dead, and… basically… alternate timelines. Tons of them."

"You… you really do know my dad, then?" Jenny asked. Venturing a glance at Buffy. "Are you… does that make you… my step-mom?"

Buffy had to fight to suppress a burst of laughter.

Jenny looked confused.

"You… don't know him very well, do you?" Buffy asked. "I mean, I get that he's your dad, but…"

"I only knew him a day," said Jenny. "The day I was born." She gave a shrug that clearly intended to demonstrate that she didn't care, although the gesture was hopelessly strained. "He said I wasn't his daughter, called me a genetic anomaly, refused to believe I was a real person, and then… left me behind. I haven't seen him, since."

"Wow," Buffy said, impressed. "He's gotten better about the daughter-thing. You should hear what he called _Seo_."

Jenny raised a quizzical eyebrow.

Buffy leaned in, conspiratorially. "Don't tell her I mentioned this," she whispered, "but… the phrase he used was something like… 'dangerous botched science experiment'."

Jenny's jaw dropped. "He said that?"

"In his defense, she kind of is," Buffy mused. Then, quickly, added, "Not that I think so! In _my_ eyes, she's perfect." Paused. "Okay, not… perfect-perfect, but… a good work-in-progress!"

Jenny thought this through. "You're not what I expected a 'mom' to act like."

Yeah, well, there was a reason for that.

Buffy put a hand on Jenny's back. "Look, about the Mom thing," she said. "I'm not gonna be all with the imposing — I mean, when I was a kid, my parents got divorced and when my mom started dating again, it was massive-beat-up-the-vampires time."

Jenny frowned. A curious look on her face, as she stared at Buffy. As if trying to work her out.

"So it's cool if you don't want to have anything to do with me," Buffy explained. "But… if you need to chat, or just need someone to help out or someone to do Mom-things with…" she shrugged. "Feel free. Like, any time."

"You've been a soldier, before, haven't you?" Jenny guessed. "And you didn't like it."

Goddammit!

How had she known?

Why did all the Doctor's kids have to be so smart?!

"Dad was, too," Jenny admitted, looking away. "I remember that. I think it's why he said… what he did about me. Why he left me behind."

It took a while for it to all click in Buffy's head. "Oh, I see! You were born from a machine so you could fight stuff!" she realized. "Like, in the future! Yeah, Martha was saying…"

A headache lashed through her. Splitting through her head like someone was slicing a sword through the middle of her brain.

Buffy cringed, biting back the pain.

And then it was gone.

Jenny was staring at her, concerned. Not sure what to do.

"Sorry, lost my train of thought," Buffy said, brushing it aside. Damn, what had she been talking about? Oh, yeah. Soldiers! "Yeah, I… um… defend Earth from the powers of darkness and stuff. You know. Vampires. Demons. Aliens." Tilted her head to the side. "Led a group of girls into a battle against Evil from Before the Dawn of Time, too. That was an experience."

Jenny took this in with a completely straight face.

Buffy could almost see the thousand thoughts streaming through her mind, trying desperately to work this strange Mom-Lady out.

"But… yeah!" said Buffy. Running out of things to say. "Just let me know what you wanna do and… I'll see if I can help."

From across the Plass, Gwen and Ianto emerged, dragging two subdued weevils out towards the tourist information office door. Alison following up, behind, helping in places and joining in the banter. Seo lagged a little behind.

Jenny, noticing them all coming over, stood up. Looking, once again, like she wanted to run.

Buffy jumped to her feet. Holding Jenny's hand in Momly support.

Alison nudged Seo, who started out of her trance. Noticed the impending confrontation. And planted a bright beam on her face.

"Yes! Like Alison said," Seo agreed. "This is my sister. Jenny!" She turned to Jenny. "And this is Ianto and Gwen. They're… well… they're my Torchwood Family."

"I… don't understand what that means," Jenny admitted. "What's a… Torchwood?"

Gwen stepped forwards, putting on her best supportive smile. Trust Gwen to offer a friendly smile and a welcoming hand. "Top secret Earth defense group," she said. "We're more… really close friends. Seo calls us family. I'm Gwen, by the way. And we can always use an extra hand and a bit more support around the office."

Jenny gave a shy smile, and took the hand.

"Half sister on her father's side?" Ianto said, looking Jenny up and down. Shrugged. "At least you'll be a genius, then."

A grin lit up Jenny's face. "Actually, I am," she admitted. "I'm extremely brilliant. Also, I've a lot of experience fighting back monsters and such. And saved countless worlds, using nothing but my wits, my charm, and my good looks!"

Ianto raised his eyebrows. Then, a little more quietly, "Jack will love this one."

"Jack?" asked Jenny. She glanced back at Seo. "You mentioned… Jack."

"He's the one in charge," Alison explained. "Bit of a flirt. Although…" stealing a glance at Ianto, "think he might have his hands full, at the moment."

"Martha's sometimes floating around, here, too," Seo put in. Bouncing on her toes, looking around. "You'll like her. She single-handedly saved the world from an evil psychotic maniac, once."

Jenny thought a moment. "I knew a Martha who came from Earth at this time. I don't suppose she's…?"

Jenny stopped, as she caught the looks on everyone's faces.

"Oh," Jenny said, hesitating. "This is one of those things where it's statistically impossible you'd have met the same Martha I did, isn't it?"

"Big pond, little fish," Ianto agreed.

"Then again, odder coincidences have happened," Gwen pointed out. "But, as it turns out, you won't get the chance to find out if they're the same. Martha's on her honeymoon."

Seo cringed. "I missed the wedding?"

"Yep, both of them," Buffy put in. "And the divorce party in between! That one was good fun. We created an effigy of Tom, and threw rotten fruit at it."

"Was that before or after the obligatory Buffy-monster attack?" Gwen asked.

Buffy ignored her. "But this time, Martha's marrying… whatshisname… Ricky something."

"Mickey," Ianto corrected.

"Which is weird, because he used to date my fake adopted sister, before Rose moved to another universe," Buffy continued. "And before Rose wound up absorbing the Time Vortex and creating the all-knowing entity who raised Seo."

Gwen shot Jenny a grin. "As I said. Odder coincidences have happened."

Jenny returned the grin with her own smile. Then, noticing the gun slung across Gwen's back, her smile lit up into a beam. "Ooh! Is that the Gemo-Lite 220? That's an amazing firearm!"

Gwen handed the weevil off to Alison, and slung the gun down. "Just got it from a crashed space ship, a few weeks ago," she confessed. "Don't know everything it can do, yet."

"It's quite simple, really," said Jenny, taking it from her. "See, this," pointing, "creates an ionized sub-atomic field which sucks up…"

Buffy decided she'd had enough of the techno babble for one day. Could already feel another headache coming on, but decided to ignore it.

Alison was looking at her, concerned.

Then nudged Seo in the ribs. Whispered in her ear.

"What?" Seo said. She looked affronted. "Are you implying something? I do _not_ need my mom to safely time travel! I told you. I know exactly how everything in my machine works. I'm brilliant!"

"I'll just help Ianto lock up the weevils," Buffy cut in, grabbing up Gwen's weevil from Alison. Shot her a last warning stare, then darted into the Torchwood Hub.


	3. Chapter 3

"…which is how it can manage to dissolve only living tissue," Jenny continued to explain to Gwen, "without harming anything inorganic surrounding it. But…" adjusting the settings, "in _this_ mode, you reverse the polarity. See? Which gives you the opposite effect."

Gwen actually seemed to be following this. "You… know a lot about guns."

"'Always study your weapon so you know when you mustn't use it, and when you have to'," Jenny quoted. Her eyes drifting off, a wistful smile on her face. "Aychron used to say that. He taught me everything I know. We found one of these on the planet Recufor, once. At that time, it was an antique, but still in working order. Used it to defeat a ravenous Twilgofor." She stroked a hand across the gun. "This one's a beauty."

"You had a mentor?" Gwen asked.

"A while ago," Jenny dismissed. "Brilliant, though. Marvelous fighter." She turned to Seo, began to hand her the gun. "You ever fired one of these?"

Gwen quickly snatched the gun away. "We… I mean… Seo doesn't get guns." Shot Seo a pleading look. "Sorry, it's just what your mum said."

"What?" Seo cried. Hands on her hips. "But I… I… But that's not fair!"

"Seo, you try to steal guns so you can dismantle them," Alison pointed out. "Since when did you care about owning a firearm?"

"I… care about a lot of things!" Seo retorted. Shifting from foot to foot. "And I bet if you gave me that gun, I could change it so it worked… twice as well. Or three times!"

Gwen's eyes raised.

And Alison's jaw dropped.

As they both realized what was happening.

Jenny, however, seemed mostly confused. "Are you all right?" she asked Seo, in a quiet voice. "You seem upset."

Seo blinked. "No!" she insisted. "No, I'm fine!"

"This isn't some sort of territorial thing, right?" said Jenny. "Because I know you're part-human, and… well, it's a human shortcoming, isn't it? Getting overly territorial. And… if this is some sort of genetic failing, I wouldn't want to make you feel…"

"You're not," Seo put in, quickly. Beamed, but the beam looked forced. "Not territorial. Nope! You're my sister! Sisters make each other happy, right?" She bounced on her toes. "What makes you happy makes me happy!"

"Are you sure?" Jenny double-checked. Then, her brow furrowing a little deeper, added, "You're not upset that I told Alison you didn't know how your ship worked, right?"

"I do _too_ know how…! I mean…!" Seo looked around herself. Her breath coming a little too rapidly. "No. No! That's… that's fine." Put her hands up to the corners of her mouth, to spread her smile even wider. "See? Happy!"

"Because I thought your general design was good," said Jenny. "And I didn't even mention the twenty extra copies of the console room that you kept around so you wouldn't have to learn how to repair it."

Alison barely stopped herself from bursting out laughing.

As Seo's face went dark red.

"I… that's not… it's self-repairing steam," Seo insisted. "You know! Magic steam and then… pop! Ship's like new!"

"I like how you folded the dimensions around the coral in just the right way so it'd always wind up in the same spot," Jenny added, "no matter what copy of the room you used. Quite clever." She paused. "Of course, I actually do know how to make _real_ self-repairing steam, if you want. You just program some nano-forms into the steam cloud, which will…"

"Happy! Happy! Happy! Happy!" Seo shouted. Skipping around the Plass, trying to drown out what her sister was saying. "That's me! Happy Seo! Happy sister Seo!"

Alison leaned over. Whispered to Gwen, "Should we say something?"

"Let them work this out for themselves," said Gwen. "All we can do by butting into the middle and calling their attention to it is to make things worse." Gwen then put on a big smile, and reached a hand out to grab Seo by the shoulders. "How about we check up on Buffy and Ianto, in the Hub? Make sure they've got those weevils under control."

* * *

Gwen was expecting Jenny, upon first seeing the Hub, to have the usual reaction. Open jawed amazement, wonder, and fascination.

Instead, Jenny just looked on. Impassively. Then turned back to Gwen and the others. "Is this it?"

Alison stifled a laugh. "Not impressive enough for you?"

Jenny seemed to realize she'd been rude. "No! It's… very nice." She looked it over, again. "Yes. Very nice. Just… a little… primitive."

"Not _that_ primitive," Seo protested.

"Oh, no, I'm sure, by this culture's standards, it's amazing," Jenny amended. Then winked at Seo. "But… be fair. We've both seen better." She gestured at a contraption hanging about, beside the rift manipulator. "Take this transport device. Half these functions are wrong, and even if they weren't, it'd hardly be practical to design it like this. Even a thick-headed trumozino would know to put the ion-star—"

"She wasn't thick," Seo gritted through her teeth. "She was my _friend_." Looked away, pain written across her features. "And she shouldn't have had to die the way she did."

Jenny's eyes went wide. "Die…?" She stumbled back. "I… I'm sorry, I didn't know!"

Alison put an arm around Seo's shoulders, to comfort her.

Gwen, meanwhile, went up to Jenny. Took her aside. "Tosh and Seo were very close," she explained. "Tosh was shot a few months ago. We're all… trying to pick up the pieces."

Jenny looked horrified.

"You couldn't have known," Gwen said. "Just… you might not want to… dwell on it. Around Seo." She paused. Trying to collect her own emotions. "It's a long story. Seo… blames herself for not stopping it."

Now _there_ was something that Jenny seemed to understand completely.

Looked like Jenny had her own series of self-blame episodes, in her past.

From across the room, Seo squirmed out of Alison's grip. "Would you stop trying to get me to see Mom?!" she shouted. "I don't need Mom! I'm not incompetent!"

"That wasn't what I meant," Alison insisted.

"Just leave me alone!" Seo screamed, thrusting Alison away and storming off. "Leave me alone! Leave me alone! Leave me ALONE!"

And raced out of the main Hub area.

Jenny stared after her, for a few seconds. And… yes, there it was again. That look of self-blame. Most amazing thing was… it was nearly identical on the two sisters' faces. That same horrible look like the world had just shattered you apart, and you weren't sure where to start picking up the pieces.

"I better get after her," Jenny said, rushing off.

* * *

She found Seo smashing up items in the Torchwood Archives room. Grabbing up bits of alien tech from the shelves, hurtling them against the ground, and then stomping and stomping until they were little tiny pieces.

"I hope that's not what you want to do to _me_ ," Jenny put in.

Seo looked up.

Didn't say a word. Her face somewhere between utter fury and forced pretend-happiness.

Jenny entered the room. Leaned against the far wall, hands clasped behind her.

"I know what it's like, losing friends," she admitted. "There was Aychron, of course… but he was more of a mentor than a friend. But… Chvorin…" Jenny's eyes fixed on the floor. "Well… he was important to me. Very important."

Seo didn't answer.

"Sometimes, at night, I can't sleep," Jenny admitted. Her lower lip shaking. "I keep replaying it in my head. All the ways I could have saved him. Should have saved him. But… when it happened… I couldn't think. I just…"

"You froze," Seo whispered.

Jenny closed her eyes, tight.

"I've done that," Seo agreed. "Lots of times."

For a few seconds, neither one said anything. Seo just stood in the room, an alien object in her hand, ready to be smashed underfoot. Jenny ventured to open her eyes. Looked down at all the bits and pieces beneath Seo's feet.

With a small smile, "Does that really help?"

"I like destroying things," Seo countered. "It's how I was created." She looked at the object in her hand. Sighed. Then tossed it away. "I guess not everyone can be created perfectly."

"Because you're part-human, you mean?" Jenny asked. She shrugged. "That's all right with me. I don't mind! I know humans can be… well, temperamental and territorial and—"

"And nothing!" Seo shouted, turning on Jenny. Fists clenched. "It's not bad, you know! Being a bit human. I _like_ humans. And maybe by your standards, Torchwood's just some backwards secret underground hub with a bunch of poorly made gadgets and second-guessed alien tech, but… it's more than that. It's home. One of my homes. I like it."

Jenny froze.

Realizing… she'd managed to offend her sister.

Jenny chewed herself out inside her head. Oh, she was really not good at this type of thing! Fight monsters, save worlds, do the impossible? Any day! But… socializing… having a family…!

Jenny couldn't even work out where she'd gone wrong. How she'd made Seo so angry.

"And who cares about the technology?!" shouted Seo, turning around and grabbing up more items from the Archive shelves. She slammed them against the far wall with a crack that buried one of them deep into the concrete. "They're just things! Alien rubbish! If it all went up in flames tomorrow, I wouldn't look twice." She spun back on Jenny. "Torchwood isn't about the _things_. It's about the _people_. They're my family, and I love them."

"I… yes," Jenny said, in a small voice. Suddenly feeling so very young. "I think… I understand." She swallowed. Then offered a smile. "I think it's brilliant that you're part-human. I never meant to offend. I… I'm sorry. Really."

That seemed to calm Seo down a bit.

Perhaps this was what it meant to be a sister. Perhaps it meant… having to always apologize and second-guess yourself. Always getting into fights and having to dig yourself out of them.

Perhaps.

But Jenny really hoped not.


	4. Chapter 4

Turned out… not everyone thought Torchwood wasn't about the 'things'.

Particularly not when Ianto and Buffy raced into the room, struggling to stop Seo from destroying any more of the so-called 'alien rubbish' that she was smashing to bits.

"Why not?" Seo gritted through her teeth. "Destroying objects not good enough for you? Maybe I should kill a weevil or two! Maybe _that's_ the only way to impress you!"

"Seo, if you temper tantrum like a two-year-old," Buffy warned, "I'm gonna treat you like a two-year-old. You got that?"

But whatever Seo retorted to this was lost on Jenny. As… she felt something like a shudder run through her. She could feel it. The most… most horrible…!

Jenny snapped her head around. Eyes wide.

"Seo," she said, very quietly. Edging back, and grabbing her sister by the hand. "Seo, we have to get out of here."

Buffy and Ianto exchanged puzzled looks.

Seo just grabbed back her hand. "Stop it!" she snapped. "I'm trying to throw a hissy fit, and you're ruining it!"

But Jenny didn't have time to argue. "We have to go!" Jenny shouted, seizing Seo by the arm and bodily dragging her out of the room. "We can't stay here." She ran. Pelted fast as she could down the twisting, winding halls. "It's coming closer! Can't you feel it? Closer and closer and we have to get away! We have to…!"

Jenny froze.

As she realized she'd hit a dead-end.

Seo stared up at Jenny, a little confused. And a little shocked. "You're really scared," she realized, trying in vain to free herself from Jenny's death-grip. "What is it? Is something wrong?"

"Yes," Jenny said. "And it's coming closer. We have to get away. We have to leave, Seo. We have to—"

And then it came.

And Jenny stared right into its face. As it lumbered towards her. This thing… this… this…

"Oh, now that's just showing off!" Seo snapped, jerking herself away. She threw up her hands in the air. "Is this what you're trying to prove? That you're the perfect Time Lady who's scared of Jack and was actually created correctly from pure Time Lord genetics, so that you have real instincts that work properly and don't make you nearly wipe out planets by accident?!"

Jenny had absolutely no idea what Seo was talking about.

All she could focus on was this… wrong thing… in front of her. This horrible… wrong…

"Is something the matter?" said the… the… _thing_. He grinned. "Captain Jack Harkness. And don't worry." With a wink. "I only do the good-kind of biting."

A frantic Buffy raced in, yanked Jack back by the shoulder. Hissed something in his ear.

His face turned pale. "Oh." Then returned his gaze to Jenny. "I'm… sorry about that. I…" Then realized. "The… running away thing. Yeah. Got it. Should have guessed."

"What are you?" Jenny breathed. "Who are you? Why are you… so… so… like that?"

Seo stepped in between them. "Is that a problem?" she demanded. "Just because he's got something a little imperfect about him that makes him unable to die, that makes him evil and wrong and horrible? That how you feel? Like anything that's wrong and full of mistakes should be torn down and shouldn't exist because it's evil and imperfect and… and… _human_!"

"Woah, woah, calm down," Jack told Seo. "Easy there. What's going on?"

Jenny just stared at Seo. "But… I don't understand. He's wrong! Just look at him! You can _see_ …"

"Seo can't always… it's complicated," Buffy said. "Look, Jack's fine, Jenny. You don't need to worry — he's just inexplicably immortal. Not dangerous or anything. You don't have to run away."

Jenny finally edged away from the wall. Venturing forwards, a little tentatively. "But… I thought he was chasing me. I thought…"

"Actually, I was here chasing someone else." Jack spun around, military greatcoat flapping, eyes leveled at Seo. He crossed his arms. "Someone who just smashed up the quantum field accelerator I happened to need."

Seo stared at him. An unreadable look on her face.

"Wanna explain?" Jack demanded. "Or do we skip to the part where you build me a new one?"

"It's just a thing!" Seo shouted. She advanced on him. "Things don't matter! People matter! That's the most important—"

"Except," Jack cut in, "when the 'thing' you've just smashed up could save the lives of everyone in this city." He raised his eyebrows. "That make sense to you?"

"I… I… Build it yourself!" Seo snapped. Crossed her arms, shuffling, in a huff. Then, in a mutter, added, "I… don't know how."

"I could do it," Jenny offered.

Seo looked at her.

Screamed.

And slammed her fist right through the metal wall, as if it were made of paper.

Then screamed again, as she yanked it free. The metal having sliced right through her hand, which was bleeding profusely. And the sight of the blood and the fact that she'd just done something so monumentally stupid made her scream even louder, in sheer frustration.

"What the…?" Jenny said, eyes going wide.

"Can't you do anything wrong?" Seo screamed at her. "Can't you make _one_ mistake? Can't you just be stupid, or clumsy, or irresponsible?" She turned on the others. "So fine! Take your replacement-Seo! She won't nearly destroy the world all the time. She won't run into the middle of things without a plan or make Aunt Dawn leave her or smash up your stuff or build time machines that don't even work!" She shoved her way past the others. "Just save the world without me! And LEAVE ME ALONE!"

And with that, Seo raced out of the Hub.

Nobody could stop her.


	5. Chapter 5

Jenny built the device in silence.

Her eyes kept lingering back to the others, not far away. All discussing the situation, quietly.

"It's not your fault, you know."

Jenny started. Spun around. And instinctively stepped back.

Then felt rather foolish for doing so.

Jack Harkness leaned against the railing surrounding the rift manipulator. Arms folded.

"She does this, sometimes," Jack assured her. Looked off, proud smile spreading across his face. "Wild, passionate, uncontrollable. But her hearts are always in the right place."

"I don't know what I did wrong," Jenny admitted, quietly. "One moment… she was fine. Brilliant and fascinating and… my sister. Someone I could connect with. Someone who wanted to make sure I wasn't alone." Her hand shook around a spanner. "And next thing I knew…"

"You haven't done the family thing a lot, have you?" Jack guessed.

Jenny shook her head.

Jack thought it through a moment. "Having a sibling… isn't easy," he said. "Sometimes it can go well. Like with Buffy and her sister. And then… sometimes…" He was quiet for a long time. "Well, Seo probably won't hunt you down through the time and space so she can bury you beneath the ground for two thousand years. That's one thing you got going for you."

Jenny did a double-take. "I'm sorry?"

"Oh, nothing," Jack put in, with a forced grin. "Told you. Siblings can be… difficult. I know that better than most."

Jenny nodded.

Turned back to her work. Building the device that Jack needed.

"I still don't know where I went wrong," Jenny admitted. "I don't… even understand what it means… to be a sister."

"Can't answer the second one," Jack replied. "For obvious reasons." Shot her a toothy grin and a wink. "But… first one… well, it's pretty clear what went wrong. Seo has a lot of insecurities about herself. And I'd say you hit… oh, pretty much all of them."

Jenny stared. "Insecurities?"

"She's jealous, Jenny," Jack clarified. "Seo isn't angry at you. She's angry at herself, because in her mind, you're perfect and she isn't. That's all."

Jenny couldn't quite believe what she was hearing.

"Perfect?!" said Jenny. She struggled to keep the emotion out of her voice. "How am I perfect? I was created for war and death. I was created on a planet in the future, abandoned there, stranded in the middle of the universe with a longing to go out and travel and help, and… not having the first idea how to do it. Dad told me I wasn't even real. Any friends I make wind up dying shortly after I meet them, in some adventure or other. The only person I ever really related to was Aychron, and he's…" She stopped.

Staring down at the quantum accelerator she was building.

"Well, he's gone now," Jenny said, softly.

Jack nodded. "I'm sorry. I know how that is."

"Seo… is so lucky," Jenny continued. "I mean, she used to be a baby! She wasn't… forced out of some machine! No; she had a chance to grow up! She had a childhood, had—"

"She grew up in a prison dimension," Jack pointed out. "Hiding from some very nasty higher dimensional powers who wanted her dead. It wasn't exactly the perfect childhood."

Jenny faltered at that.

A prison dimension?

Recalled… the way Seo's hand slid right through metal when she'd punched it. Recalled… what Seo said about her instincts making her sometimes accidentally destroy worlds…

Then shook it off.

No, that was… ridiculous!

Things like hell goddesses didn't _actually_ exist — no matter what Alison said.

She must have just been… confused. Humans got confused like that, right?

"Seo was very lonely for a long time," said Jack. "I think that's why… she couldn't let you go off alone. She felt like she had to help."

"But… but that's my point!" Jenny insisted. "She has… all this!" Gestured around herself. "I mean, just… friends! Family! An Aunt Dawn. A mum. Even Dad speaks to her — follows her around, she says." Jenny's voice trembled. "She has… so many people who love her. She… she has everything. I have nothing. How can she _want_ to be…?"

"Seo wasn't handed a family," Jack put in. "She made one for herself. Traveled across all sorts of dimensions to find her mom. Risked tearing apart the universe to contact the Doctor. And Torchwood… well… she's broken in here over and over again. And always managed to save our lives."

Jenny didn't know what to say to that.

"She… still… had a mum to begin with," Jenny insisted, rather weakly.

"Well, a bit," Jack said. "Granted, when Seo first arrived in this dimension, Buffy _did_ originally lock her up because she believed Seo was too dangerous for the universe. But… yeah. In a way, you're right. She did start off with a mom."

Jenny tried to take all this in. "Too… dangerous… for the universe?"

Jenny was starting to understand why, when Jenny had told Alison that she couldn't risk letting what was in that room out, Alison had just naturally assumed Jenny had been talking about Seo.

"How dangerous is she?" Jenny asked, tentatively.

"She isn't," said Jack. "But she's had to prove that. Make us trust her. We were all… weary, the moment she showed up. A lot of us acted hostile towards her. Some tried to kill her. But… she wins everyone around in the end." A smile grew on his face. "Truth is… Seo _makes_ people love her. Because she loves them back."

Jenny scrutinized him, closely.

There was something about Seo that just… didn't make sense to her. And the more she talked to Jack, the more she could feel…

As if Jenny just couldn't understand…

"She loves you, too," Jack said. "She's just insecure at the moment. Give her time. Seo…" He gave a short laugh. "She blunders in without knowing what she's doing. Even here, now. She gave you her family without thinking… maybe it'll hurt, having to share them, maybe she'll feel a little less secure about herself, next to you."

"But… she was angry enough at me to tear apart a wall," said Jenny. "Destroy all your alien tech. That's not just insecurity! That's…"

"Told you she was passionate," Jack said, with a shrug. "Passionate, impulsive, lashing out when she's upset." His eyes filled with affection. "And one of the bravest, most wonderful people out there. She's… well, she's _so_ much like her mom."

Jenny didn't answer this.

She went back to building the device. Her eyes occasionally glancing back to the other group, still in their discussion, some ways away. Just out of hearing range. The group that contained Ianto, Gwen, Alison, and…

Buffy Summers.

The person who'd stretched out a hand and a smile and offered to give Jenny anything she wanted.

In a very quiet voice, Jenny asked, "What's wrong with Seo's mum?"

Jack did a double-take. "Wrong? Nothing's wrong. Who said anything was wrong?"

"Alison," Jenny replied. Nodded towards Alison, who kept sneaking glances at Buffy. "I know that look. It's… the look you get when you know someone's dying before your eyes. And you still can't stop it."

She knew that look too well.

Because she'd worn it herself. For such a very long time.

"Alison's been trying to hint it to Seo, since the moment I met the two of them," Jenny added. "Always telling Seo to be with her mum. Always trying to convince her to go home, spend time with…" Jenny paused. Then, her eyes growing that much sadder. "And I can see it in Buffy. Just… every so often…"

Buffy winced. Ever so slightly. Seemed to waver, just a second, on her feet. Then stabilized herself, and continued on as if nothing had happened.

Jenny gestured at Buffy. "…that wince. That wavering. That… confusion on her face."

Jack Harkness looked out. His face melting into shock and worry, as he put all the pieces together. "She's… she's _sick_. Really…" He seemed absolutely stunned. "But… why didn't she tell us? Why…?"

"Because she's not a soldier," Jenny said, turning back to her work. "She's a _warrior_. Like Aychron was. She's smart. She's proud. She faces off against anything fate throws at her." Shook her head. "Someone like that would rather die alone than accept… pity."

Jenny clanged the top on the device, then stepped back, admiring her work.

"Finished," she declared to the entire hub.

Jack wiped all hints of worry from his face in a second, as attention turned back to him and Jenny. He spun around. "Yan," he said. "Monitor rift distortion levels from here. Let us know if anything else changes." Gestured at the others. "Everyone else… you're with me!"

"Time to save the world, again?" Buffy said, as they all rushed out of the hub.

Jack grinned, placing an arm around Buffy's shoulders. "And time to look good doing it."


	6. Chapter 6

They were looking up and down the street. Jack peering at the vortex manipulator on his wrist.

"So what are we looking for?" Buffy asked. "I thought you said you'd found this mad scientist guy."

Jack tapped his VM. Then looked up and winked at Buffy. "Found some lackeys. Made them talk."

"Didn't make them talk enough," Alison pointed out to him. "Or we'd be able to know exactly where we were going."

Jenny stood in the middle of the street. Examining all the houses around them.

Her face bent into a deep frown.

Then her eyes lit up, and she grinned. Pointing. "Right… there!"

"I'm sorry?" said Gwen.

Jenny shifted her grip on the quantum field accelerator. "Only house that has an extra power linkup at the top," she explained, beginning to race off. "To power an unmodulated time disturbance field generator, most likely!"

A small smile twitched at the sides of Buffy's lips, as she watched Gwen, Alison, and Jenny sprint towards the house.

"She's good, isn't she?" Buffy said.

"Like someone else I could name," Jack replied, raising his eyebrows at Buffy. He offered her his elbow. "Shall we, Ms. Summers?"

Buffy laughed, and hooked her arm around Jack's. "If you don't stop with the flirting, today, I'm gonna tell Ianto," she warned.

She didn't even seem to notice how Jack subtly caught and righted her, during her next dizzy-spell.

* * *

"Freeze!" Gwen shouted, gun drawn and aimed, as they skidded into the house. "Torchwood!"

The thin, tall man froze in the center of his living room. Looked up, a cruel smile on his face. "Torchwood. I knew it'd be you. It's always you, these days."

Jenny watched, interested, as Gwen and Alison's postures slumped a little.

"Oh, not you again," Alison said. She looked like she wanted to throw something at him. Possibly a bullet.

"You know him?" Jenny guessed.

"Unfortunately," Gwen muttered.

Buffy and Jack stopped, the moment they entered the room. Buffy's eyes going wide in alarm, as they fell on the man.

And, judging by the man's reactions, he wasn't expecting to see Buffy here.

"You!" Buffy said, tearing herself away from Jack. "Oh, I am so going to beat the living daylights out of you, Ethan. So totally…!"

"Woah, there," said Jack, taking Buffy by the shoulders and holding her back. "Human, remember? Can't do things like that."

"So Ripper's Slayer has joined Torchwood?" the man — Ethan — said. Gave a bitter laugh. "Should have known. You must be the person who tipped them off about my revenge plans back when I was in Carlisle."

Alison gave a smirk. "Actually, that was Seo," she muttered. "Brilliant, huh?"

Buffy tried to surge forwards, again, but Ethan raised up two wires of a device in the center of the room. "One step closer, and Cardiff goes up in smoke," he warned. Putting the two wires closer together. "Along with Torchwood and the lovely Buffy Summers."

Buffy stopped.

Glaring.

Gwen cocked the gun in her hands. "I'm prepared to shoot."

"And chance hitting this device and blowing up Cardiff by accident?" Ethan scoffed. "I think not."

"What do you want?" Jack demanded, his voice low.

"This is another revenge-scheme against Giles, isn't it?" Buffy snapped. Hissed, through her teeth. "I mean, why can't you just leave him alone! God!"

Ethan looked smug. "Contrary to popular belief, I _do_ have a life independent of Ripper," Ethan replied. "How is he, by the way? I should drop by to renew my acquaintance, some time." His eyes fell on Jack and Gwen. "No, as it happens… this little scheme is all about taking down Torchwood."

Jenny began to sneak around the perimeter of the room. Her footsteps silent. As she peered at the device in the center of Ethan's living room.

Buffy turned to Jack and Gwen. "Wait, he's after _you_?!"

"Sick of us foiling your plans, all the time?" Jack guessed. "Better get used to it, Rayne. We're Torchwood. We don't put up with chaos and destruction."

Buffy was floored. "You guys have a history and everything? When did that happen?"

"Since Carlisle," said Alison.

"Three weeks ago, he tried to create some kind of psionic pulse to eliminate all forms of written language from the British Isles," Gwen told Buffy. "Channeled the rift to do it. We caught the rift spike."

"And then there was the time before that," Jack pointed out, "when he tried to activate the rift so that it collided different random periods of history together. Cause untold chaos across the city."

"And numerous other times before that," Alison muttered.

Buffy seemed a little stunned. And a little happy. "Wow. Ethan Rayne versus Torchwood. Never saw that one coming."

Ethan didn't shed the smug look on his face. "Didn't stop you from falling into my trap, though. Did it?"

And he connected the two wires together.

Gwen, Jack, Alison, and Buffy all lunged out to stop him, but were thrown back by a force-shield type thing that had just appeared in the air between them and Rayne.

"I've made some new friends," Ethan told them. "Aliens with advanced technology. Turns out, they don't like Torchwood any more than I do."

Torchwood tumbled through the air and collided with the far wall, a tangle of limbs and bruises. Gwen took a shot at Ethan, but the bullet bounced uselessly off the force shield.

"I needed to lure you here so you'd be taken by the rift, when I managed to activate it," Ethan told them. Chuckled. "Quantum field accelerator next to this thing? My alien chums tell me that's the recipe for a massive rift storm."

"Get out!" Buffy shouted, trying to drag Jack and Gwen to their feet. "It's a trap!"

They tried, but another blast of energy slammed them down against the floor once again.

"Amplified by a little magic from me," Ethan said. "Of course. Chaos demons are wonderful things."

"Like this little statue, here, you mean?" said Jenny, emerging inside the energy field, behind him.

Ethan turned, alarmed, but not before Jenny had smashed the statue against the ground, the stone chips flying in a million directions.

"No!" shouted Ethan.

He spun around and lunged at her, dropping the wires — but even disconnected, the machine didn't power down, nor did the force shield.

Jenny nimbly leapt out of the way, causing Ethan to fall to the floor.

"I see," Jenny mused, looking down at the fallen wires. "The electrical charge was just the spark to get it going. Once it began, you could power it using rift energy. Very clever." She paused, then turned to the quantum field accelerator. "Of course, it's only working because of this. And considering I built this one…" She yanked out a power cell. "I know how to switch it off."

The moment she did, everything powered down, all at once.

Leaving just a grinning Jenny, and Ethan Rayne — scrambling to his feet and looking like he was about to run for it.

"Oh, no, you don't!" Buffy shouted, leaping at him and tackling him to the ground.

Alison leapt out, helping Buffy hold Ethan back.

Gwen and Jack both aimed their guns at the skinny man. Their eyes a warning.

Jenny bent down, examining the device in Ethan's living room. "Whoever these alien friends of yours are, I don't think much of them," she added. "The technology's fairly primitive. I doubt it could have actually created a portal the way you imagine."

Ethan gave a grim smile. "It already did."

Everyone in the room froze. Staring at Ethan.

"Oh, come on," said Ethan. "What's Torchwood without its hub? Without its gizmos and gadgets and pilfered technology? You call yourselves powerful when all you have is stolen alien rubbish?" He shook his head. "You'll be helpless against the chaos caused by the Stresstorines without your alien toys."

Jenny's eyes went wide. "Stresstorines…"

Jack stormed over to Ethan. Grabbing him up by the collar. "What did you do to the hub?" he growled. Eyes blazing. Screamed, " _What did you do?!_ "

Ethan didn't speak.

Just pressed a small button on a device tucked into his trouser pockets… and disappeared into the air.

"The hub," Gwen realized. "Jack! We left Ianto…!"

Jack spun around, racing as fast as he could to the car. "We have to get back! We have to…!"

A small cry, and then a thud.

As Buffy stumbled and fell to the ground, her teeth gritted in pain, hands on her head. Her face looked deathly pale, and it was visible to all, now — the extent of her illness.

"Buffy?" Gwen said. Rushing over to her.

Jack looked between Buffy and the outside of the house. Torn. Wanting to race out and save Ianto, but not willing to leave Buffy behind.

Jenny knew what she had to do.

Raced over and grabbed Jack's VM off his wrist. "Look after her," Jenny commanded, punching in the correct coordinates. "I'll fix this. Promise."

And in a second, Jenny was gone.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally back from my business trip. Boy, was that trip stressful and difficult! I'm gonna post up the next chapter, just so you guys can go ahead and read it. I'm not entirely sure I'm happy with it, but I'm too fatigued to do anything about it.
> 
> Enjoy.

Ianto had been in the hub, alone, monitoring levels of rift activity, when the sound had echoed through the chamber. A mechanical sound of engines that he recognized.

He spun around, just in time to see Seo's ship appear on the floor of the hub, right next to him.

"Seo?" he called.

No answer.

For a few seconds, there was just silence.

Then the door opened, and Seo stepped out. Holding a piece of coral in her hands — one hand sloppily bandaged, the other white as she gripped the coral firmly.

"So… it _is_ true," Seo whispered. "I don't even need this to be connected into the rest of the ship for it fly. Everything's being channeled through _me_. Wirelessly."

There was such a dejected, hopeless look on her face, Ianto couldn't help but feel sorry for her.

Especially when she looked up, fixing those wide brown eyes on him. And he could see all the pain she felt inside.

"I always thought… whatever my father did… he still used my original design," Seo confessed. "The technology I'd wired in. But he didn't." Her eyes turned back down to the coral. "Jenny's right. I _am_ useless."

Ianto took Seo aside. Sat her down. Then turned to the tea machine, to make Seo some tea. "Jenny never said that, you know," he assured her, pouring it into the cup.

"No, she just proved it," Seo said, with a shrug. She put down the coral so she could take the tea from Ianto and sip it. "I mean, look at her! She's about as old as I am, but she's so responsible and grown up! She knows everything, understands everything, has the patience to do actual research and know what she's talking about, doesn't need supervision all the time…!"

"You said… she didn't have anyone else," Ianto reminded Seo, softly. "No other family."

Seo didn't answer.

"If she was born from a machine, fully grown," Ianto said, "abandoned by her father just after she was born... that means she's been on her own a long time." He gave Seo a kind look. "I think she's had to learn a lot of things and become very responsible very quickly."

Seo stared down at her tea. "I guess," she said. Pouted. "But she's still… I mean, she's just… so much better than me. At everything!"

"You're saying that because she happens to know things you don't," Ianto pointed out. "Everything you _do_ know — about Earth, about family and friends, about living a normal life — that _terrifies_ her. She has no idea how to act."

Seo's eyes met Ianto's. "Really?"

Ianto smiled. "Absolutely," he said. "And what's more—"

They were cut off by a sudden roaring sound tearing through the hub. A wind rushed up as if from nowhere, and when Seo and Ianto turned, they saw a ball of bright light emerge in the center of the hub.

"What…?" Seo asked.

Then the air around them gave a howl, and cracked open. Reality splitting apart and splintering around the light, opening to reveal the swirling colors of the vortex itself.

The portal sucked at everything inside the hub. Dragging it forwards, into its gaping maw. Every item it fed upon only making it bigger, widening the breach.

Ianto darted for the computer. Typing, frantically. "I think I can isolate its feed," he said. "Use the manipulator to cut it off at the source."

Seo wasn't listening.

She was just staring at this crack that had opened in reality. Staring at it as if caught in a trance, unable to move.

"Seo?" Ianto asked.

No answer.

Ianto turned back to the computer. Looked like this was just down to him, then. He tried to hang on so he wouldn't be sucked through the gap, but frantically reconfigured the mainframe of the Rift Manipulator. Tapping into the programs Tosh had created, back when she'd been alive.

There!

Perfect!

The manipulator activated, pulsing with mechanical energy.

Just as a shape appeared into existence, at the far end of the hub. A tall blond girl, in military fatigue, hair up in a ponytail.

"Ianto!" Jenny called.

Then she took in what had just happened. The rift manipulator, beginning to churn into life, sparks flickering across its surface. And the coral in Seo's grip seeming to react to the manipulator, giving off a faint glow and an irritated sounding hum.

"Oh, no," said Jenny. Terrified eyes turning to Ianto. "You can't do that! The TARDIS coral, the portal, and the manipulator will react to one another! Set off a chain reaction!" She raced forwards. "You don't know… what…!"

Then she slowed.

And stopped.

Her eyes fixed on that tear in reality, unable to look away. As if it had somehow entranced her, as well.

But she was right. Ianto could see that, now. Could see the energy arching back and forth from the coral to the manipulator, creating a spinning sort of transparent bubble in the center point between them. Directly in front of the portal.

Ianto didn't even realize he'd loosened his grip.

Not until it was too late.

Found himself spinning through the air, slamming directly into the bubble. Swallowed up by it. The force of the impact making his head spin, his vision go dark.

The last thing he saw was the bubble being pulled inside the portal.

And then he passed out.

* * *

Jenny snapped out of the trance, first. The moment the bubble had dragged Ianto inside, swallowed him up within the Vortex.

"Seo!" she screamed, stumbling towards the computer terminal. "Help me out, here!"

Seo started out of her reverie. Realizing, in horror, what was going on. "Ianto?" She jumped to her feet, stumbling, barely able to resist the winds sucking everything into the vortex.

Except… the winds were dying down.

The crack in reality had already begun to close. And as Jenny managed to reach the computer, a smile spread across her face. "He did it!" she cried. "He actually worked out a way to close it! He…!"

Jenny didn't notice until it was too late.

What Seo was actually doing.

Seo grabbed up the piece of TARDIS coral. Tucked it beneath her arm. "Have to get him back," Seo said, racing forwards, towards the closing gap in reality. In a gigantic leap, she launched herself through it.

She disappeared into its depths.

The gap swirled shut behind her.

Jenny stared. Her breath coming fast. "No," she said. "Oh, no. No, no, no."

Knew exactly why Seo had done what she did. And it was all Jenny's own stupid fault! Jenny had been the one to hypothesize that Seo could traverse the vortex without any kind of capsule at all. She'd been the one to plant the idea in Seo's mind!

"You can traverse it, but you can't exit it!" Jenny shouted at the air. "That's what the ship-part is for! Without that… your protection would wear off… and you'd just… be…"

She didn't want to say it.

Ianto would be protected a little longer, Jenny guessed, inside that bubble. But even he would be disintegrated, soon enough. His atoms scattered across time and space.

And Seo wouldn't save him! She'd get herself killed, get Ianto killed, and all for nothing!

Just because Jenny had said something stupid!

"It's my fault," Jenny said. "This is all my fault!" She turned, irritated with herself, stomping her feet against the ground. "Why did you have to brag about how clever you were, Jenny? Why couldn't you just have left well enough…?!"

Then her eyes fell on Seo's ship.

And Jenny realized… she knew exactly what to do.

* * *

Jack entered the hub, first. Running fast as he could. "Yan!" he shouted. "Ianto!"

Ianto wasn't there.

All he found was a hub in chaos, and Jenny darting in and out of Seo's ship, fast as she could. Her face bent in intense concentration.

"Where is he?" Jack demanded. Trying to keep the shaking from his voice. "Where… where's…?"

"Swallowed up by the vortex!" said Jenny, disappearing into Seo's ship, again. "Along with Seo."

Jack rushed over. "No," he said. "No. He couldn't… they couldn't…!"

His heart was breaking. Shattering into millions of tiny shards, each one shattering even more with every breath he took.

"I'm working on it!" Jenny called back. "Don't lose hope, yet! I'm brilliant!'

He saw her, inside of Seo's ship. She was hooking up his vortex manipulator into the internal wiring, frantically making adjustments and intermittently smacking things with a spanner.

"There were two time machines," Jenny explained, as she went about her work. "The one Seo built, and the one Dad put in, instead. She took the TARDIS coral with her, but with your VM, _her_ lash-up should still work." Jenny grabbed up a bit from beside her, wiring it in. "Or… it'll atomize me the moment I dematerialize. Hard to say which."

Words escaped Jack.

As he just stared at Jenny.

"There!" said Jenny. Shoving at levers, poking at buttons, the whole machine whirring into life.

Jack stepped back, as a wind whipped through the hub.

"I'll be coming back with them!" Jenny called through the open doors, as the ship faded out of sight. "Promise!"

And then she was gone.

Jack frozen in place, as he realized… he might never see any of them ever again.


	8. Chapter 8

It had been dangerous enough to dematerialize a ship with its doors open.

More so to dematerialize _this_ ship.

But Jenny had taken the gamble, and it had worked. With the doors open, and with Jenny continuing to fiddle as it took off, the VM could siphon off just enough from the Rift Manipulator's residual energy to home in on the TARDIS coral.

The ship zipped through the vortex.

The console smoking and sparking. Not liking the lash-up any more than Jenny did.

"Just a little longer," Jenny urged it. She could see them, now. Right out there, floating through the vortex. "Just a little bit longer!"

She directed the ship exactly to that spot. To where Seo was reaching out, one hand around the coral, the other desperately grabbing the bubble containing Ianto.

Any second, the bubble would burst, and Ianto would age to death instantly.

Jenny stumbled towards the doors, using a piece of rope to secure herself to one of the staircases, so she wasn't dragged into the vortex herself. Reached a hand out of the doors.

"Seo!" she screamed.

Seo, slowly, looked around. Seemed to notice Jenny standing there. Her eyes terrified.

"I don't know how to get out!" Seo mouthed, her voice lost in the ravages of the vortex. She looked like she kept trying to will herself to materialize in real space, but… she wasn't a TARDIS… so it wasn't working. "I can't leave!"

"Grab on!" Jenny urged. Holding out her hand. "Just give me your hand!"

Seo looked between Jenny and Ianto.

"I can't let him go!" Seo tried to shout back. Keeping her clutch on Ianto's bubble. "He's my Torchwood family!"

Jenny bit her lower lip.

Then, on a whim, she cut the rope connecting her to the back wall. Almost flying out into the vortex herself, but managing to clutch the doors with a firm grip.

There!

She had her hand around Seo's shirt, now. Was dragging Seo back inside the ship, pulling hard as she could, forcing her sister back to safety with a strength Jenny didn't realize she had.

And with one last tug, Jenny managed to yank both Seo and Ianto back inside the ship.

The doors snapping shut behind them, as Seo and the coral normalized the ship's handling, calming the capsule down.

Ianto's bubble popped.

And he lay, unconscious, on the floor.

Jenny raced over to him. Knelt down, felt his pulse.

"He's alive," Jenny assured Seo. "You don't have to worry. We saved him."

Seo was still hacking and coughing, trying to recover her breath.

"But you almost didn't!" Jenny snapped, spinning around to face her sister. "That was impulsive and reckless! You could have died!"

"Had... to..." Seo gasped out.

"I mean, I understand jumping in front of a speeding bullet to save someone's life," Jenny said. "But… you… could have killed both him and yourself! It was just… so foolish! No plan, no strategy. Only a half-baked understanding of the forces you were dealing with! And you… you still…!"

Seo, through wheezes, managed to gasp out, "…did… _too_ … have… plan…"

Jenny came over to her. Knelt down by her sister, putting an arm around her, trying to help her. Seo's skin felt deathly cold, and Jenny realized that… a little longer… and Seo would never have made it.

"You're either the bravest person I've ever met," Jenny said. "Or the stupidest. I can't decide."

"…maybe… just… knew you'd rescue… me," Seo said.

Then she broke down coughing again.

"Are you lying?" Jenny asked.

Seo managed to regain her breath. "Possibly."

Jenny rubbed her arms, trying to get some of the color and warmth back into her skin. "You're lucky I have a bit of a self-sacrifice streak," she said. "Because… yes. I'd always do that. Especially since… it was my fault. Not just… because I told you about the coral. Also because of what happened when I first got to the hub to warn Ianto. I saw that tear in reality and… I was so distracted… I just…"

"You saw that, too?" Seo asked, hesitantly.

Jenny had to suppress a shudder. What had she seen when she'd looked into that tear in the fabric of reality? Something worse than she'd ever seen before. Something so vast, so terrifying, it had shaken her right down to the core. Something that made her want to run and run and never — _ever_ — look back.

"It was… infinity," Jenny whispered. "The universe. Everything."

Seo grinned. "And so much more!" she agreed. A light coming into her eyes, as she stared off into the distance. "It was beautiful. And the moment I saw it… I knew…" She held out her hand, clenching it into a fist. "It was mine. I could destroy it in a second. The ultimate power over everything and everyone in existence. I saw everything and forever, the whole universe across all of time and space — and _I_ was its master. I could…"

Seo trailed off.

As she realized Jenny was staring at her in something looking like horror.

Seo pasted a grin onto her face. "Just kidding!" she put in, quickly. "That's not what I saw. I saw… whatever… you saw! You know. The..." she fidgeted uncomfortably. "…thing with the thing… and… infinity, and… yeah."

Jenny looked deep into her sister's eyes.

And there was something shining so bright inside of them. So desperate for approval. So desperate for validation as a person, and not a… 'botched science experiment'.

That was when Jenny knew.

Being a sister meant learning when to lie. And when to tell the truth.

Jenny smiled at Seo. "That's what I saw, too," she lied. "Exactly."

Seo beamed.

Then jumped up to her feet. "Better check on Ianto!" She raced over, knelt down. Making sure he was all right, putting him in a more comfortable position.

Jenny just looked on, slightly puzzled.

Throwing yourself in front of bullets to save your family… Jenny understood that. She'd learned to be more careful, over the years, yes, but… she still understood it. Still had that self-sacrifice bit in her.

But Seo… was something else.

The one person who could look at eternity, decide she was its master and could crush it in an instant, went on a mad-villain's rant about how she had supreme power over everything…

And would _still_ care enough for one little person that she'd risk her own life to save him.

That was the thing about Seo that Jenny hadn't counted on. The thing… that she just couldn't quite come to terms with.

Part hell goddess.

And yet… she cared.

"We'd… never actually do it, though?" Jenny double-checked. "Right? Wield ultimate power over the universe, I mean."

Seo glanced up. Surprised.

Then she seemed to understand, all at once. And burst out laughing. "Oh, of course! You don't know!"

Jenny hesitated. "Don't know… what?"

Seo leapt to her feet. "I destroyed a universe when I was less than a year old," she explained, her face turning a little graver. Jenny could see haunted memories in those eyes. "What with… being… 'the Key'. And being constructed as a super-weapon that could wipe out everyone and everything, everywhere. Even immortals."

"A… what created to do what?"

Seo shrugged. "So, see… having ultimate power over everything… that's not _news_ to me. It's something I've been brought up with."

Jenny stared.

Not sure what to say.

"You… were constructed… to destroy everything?" Jenny asked. "You…?"

"Told you it was a long story," Seo replied.

Jenny nodded, slowly.

That certainly put being born as a soldier to fight a war into perspective.

Seo's face lit up. "Thing is… when I saw just how great that power was," she continued, eyes dancing at the memory, "it made me realize… I can save _anyone_! Anyone at all!" She leaned down to Ianto, again. Supporting his head. "It made me realize… I'm _not_ useless. I can perform miracles."

Jenny nodded. Then turned back to the central console of the ship. Shuffling around it, her eyes fixed on the coordinate panel. Her fingertips brushing across its surface.

"Then I think you need to perform one more," Jenny said, very softly.

Seo looked up. Surprised. "What?"

Jenny took a deep breath. "Your mum's dying," she confessed. Met Seo's eyes with her own. "She's ill. Extremely ill. Alison's been trying to warn you. But she's been sworn to secrecy, so she can only hint."

All color drained from Seo's face.

And for a long while, nobody in the ship moved a muscle.

"She's… Mom's… but she can't be…" Seo whispered. Panic spreading through her. "It's not possible. It can't be…!"

Jenny squeezed her eyes shut. Dropping her head down. "I'm sorry," she said. "I just thought… no one was telling you… and you deserved to know the truth." She paused. Then added, "You deserved a chance to save her."

For a while, there was silence between them.

Jenny opened her eyes, as she felt a hand on her arm. Looked over and found Seo standing there, tears in her eyes.

"Thank you," Seo whispered. "Thank you… for telling."

* * *

The Hub was busy with activity when Seo and Jenny arrived. The Stresstorines had already started their plan, and Torchwood was about half way through foiling it.

Jack turned, as he heard the ship. Saw it appear in the middle of the Plass. A huge look of relief on his face, when the doors opened, and Jenny emerged with Ianto in her arms.

Unconscious.

But alive.

And just as beautiful as ever.

Seo raced past them and threw her arms around Buffy. Tears running down her cheeks, as she hugged her mom tight as she possibly could.

Buffy looked horrified. "You… you know."

"I'm not letting you die," Seo said. She stepped away, brushing tears from her eyes. "I won't. There has to be some way to fix it. There has to…!"

Buffy sighed, hand against her head. "Nobody can even find it, Seo," she said. "That's why I didn't tell you. I'm infected with a mysterious brain tumor that hasn't actually appeared in my head, yet."

Jenny seemed intrigued. "Really?" She handed Ianto and the vortex manipulator to Jack, and came over. "How does that work?"

Buffy rushed through the possible explanations Martha had given her. Seo and Jenny absorbing every word, straight-faced.

"It was Billy?" Seo said.

"I don't know," Buffy admitted. "Maybe. That's when it started, anyways."

At the other end of the Plass, gunfire broke out, as Alison and Gwen mowed down the Stressorians. Alison shouting at them to surrender, they couldn't win this — but the Stressorians clearly intended to fight to the last man.

Torchwood had the superior fire-power. And the Stressorians were weak.

Victory was assured.

"Temporal anomalies like this are extremely rare, though," Jenny admitted. "Even with temporally complex individuals, you'd see the emergence of _something_ , by the point you're at. Least, I'd think so."

"It could be alien," Buffy offered.

Seo grabbed her mom by the wrist. Dragging her back towards Oliver. "I'm taking you to the future," she decided. "To people who know all about this type of thing. We're going to find out what's wrong with you, and we're going to fix it. Right now."

Jenny glanced around.

Decided everyone else was busy, and she wasn't really needed on Earth, anyways.

She turned, and raced after Seo and Buffy. "I know somewhere," Jenny offered. "A hospital that specializes in all sorts of diseases. From the temporal to the alien to the utterly abnormal. Whatever's wrong, they'll find it."

Seo grinned. "Perfect."

Buffy looked less than pleased with the situation. Kept protesting that they were so _not_ going to haul her off to an alien hospital and let people stick probes in her!

But Jenny and Seo won out, as they hauled her inside of Oliver.

And the ship disappeared.


End file.
